How Can We Glorify The Suffering Servant Through The Sounds Of Silence This Passover?
Good Morning Friends,
To the Western way of thinking the whole is simply the sum total of its parts. This point of view works fairly well until we come to people and their senses and their spirit. Plain and simple, a human body is not merely the sum total of its parts and the same goes for groups of people. Regardless of having said that we still question the Hebrew way of thinking and our collective response in worship, especially for those who have sung in choirs, when something is obviously missing this season. Yes, there is a time to keep silent, and a time to speak. But, being quiet can be a struggle if forced upon us. Perhaps though, it can also be a good virtue. The Bible commends those who are able to keep the peace and listen, however, discourages us from being still due to our reticence. Perhaps today’s words in scripture will help us to deal with the lack of personal contact many are experiencing and help us to find balance in the awkwardness of worship this Holy Week. So today we seek a new sense of equilibrium but still wonder, How Can We Glorify The Suffering Servant Through The Sounds Of Silence This Passover?
Scripture: Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching. Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it: I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.
Isaiah 42:1-7 (NRSV)
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;
Isaiah 61: 1-2 (NRSV)
Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.
John 12:1-11 (NRSV)
Message: There are four special texts in second Isaiah, called “Suffering Servant Songs,” that lay out the meaning and mission of this Servant: Isaiah 42: 1-4; 49: 1-6; 50: 4-9; 52:13 – 53: 12. They are read in Churches during Holy Week and perhaps some sung to new tunes like this one I encourage you to listen to below. Here is the link to one sung unaccompanied and solo which seems appropriate for our season of social isolation.
The suffering servant songs are very important in understanding Jesus, because they are the scriptural basis for Jesus’ own understanding of himself and his mission. When Jesus read and reflected on these texts, I imagine he found his own identity and how, as well as why, he would execute his Father’s plan. They were I believe his guides. A study of these texts will help to reveal to us why Jesus behaved the way he did, as the Word made flesh, and especially when it comes to Christ’s passion. So, God the Father in the sovereignty of Holy character called Jesus to sing a new song and that song is of a suffering servant that is promised in todays’ lectionary reading from Isaiah. It is one of the clearest statements in the Old Testament delineating Christ’s role in his earthly ministry. It is supposed to make us feel comfort and encouragement in a plan that God has designed. It is interesting for it to be paired with the story of Mary of Bethany as today’s reading. The readings together help us to see that as Christians we have a corporate personality and Body that is founded on the belief that the essence of God is contained in each of us and that in a way, we belong to each other in Christ. This reality is not in our physical sight and yet it undergirds our union with God the Suffering Servant. So, it is understandable that we find it easy to be distracted by a thousand voices calling in our world. That is why it is crucial that Christians be focused on serving Jesus in intentional ways that honor something greater than ourselves. Mary’s story of celebration and worship points to this purpose for us to glorify God with intention. It takes place in the home of Lazarus. At his home with his sisters and the disciples there was quite a celebration. Martha is serving, Lazarus is reclining with Jesus. Mary has worship and adoration on her mind. All of this is in the shadow of the cross … “Six days before Passover…” And Mary of Bethany has some grasp of the impending death of Jesus. Mary has prepared for the death of Jesus by buying this perfume and setting it aside. She thought that since it was intended for Jesus, it was better to demonstrate love and worship for him now, rather than after he had died. It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of Jesus’ burial. But here in this prelude to the passion all the stops are pulled out. It is about now…not the sweet by and by. Picture in your mind what is going on here and, in our lives now. The Bethany story was quite a scene of celebration and we can have one too if we are generous. Lazarus was back from the dead! Martha was doing what she loved to do most. Jesus was in the home of people he loved. There is much to learn here. But first we have to decide what our intention is going to be. First, we have to realize that love’s actions carry on to places and people far and wide. Friends we are connected through Christ in a way that blesses others despite not gathering together. We are connected in a lectionary reading. We are connected in a message about home. And here we learn that when we give a gift to God it may not be available for us to use for ourselves. Nevertheless, it is best to live with a generous spirit of intentional devotion because the sum is more than the total of its parts. There is always more and sometimes surprisingly so even in the silence and the unaccompanied solos of our singing. For Jesus is always with us. The early Christian identified Jesus as the Suffering Servant who will redeem God’s people from their sins…taking shame and turning it into something that honors God. And we too need to experience Jesus as the Messiah in this way. In fact, associating Christ’s death with the redemption of sins, is based on the concept of the Suffering Servant. Of course, there has always been disagreement over whether Isaiah is referring to the Nation of Israel as the Suffering Servant or whether the servant is an individual, in either case the servant is thought of in Messianic terms. Maybe it is not either or, but and both. When the two converge I imagine we will experience this season in a new way with a new song. Until then we have the sounds of this season if we listen.
And So, we are to listen to the sounds of the season in our mind. And yes, to glorify God in the full spectrum of human experience and emotions is a challenge this year, but that is exactly what today’s scripture calls us to do in a testimony of songs eventually to be sung of the events of Holy Week. For this week we have both the heavy burden and the rest… We have the burden of not being together singing and we have the rest of our voices in the reality that our salvation depends on Jesus. So as we read about the close of Jesus’ public ministry and the experience of life breathed into something that had ended. The stage is set for Jesus’ betrayal, death and resurrection. We have the drama to take our emotions a full 360. And typically, the sounds of this special Passover are woven into the sing of hosannas, laments and hallelujahs. For our minds seek to hear the fulfillment of scripture, for in hearing the clip clock of a colt and the breaking of an alabaster jar of perfume our minds join in the story. But this year, the sound is turned off. For many what started as a Silent Night has turned into a seemingly endless silence. So, this year, more than others, we have to use our minds to hear the tear of flesh as whips lash out with a crack and the sound of nails being hammered through flesh into wood to reinforce the horror of the time before us. We imagine Mary anointing Jesus as worship as we imagine we hear her hair wipe his feet. We consider Lazarus being raised in the sounds of celebration as a testimony and hear Martha, working and serving so others might put their attention to Jesus. Everything is jumbled together in our memory, but the silence of lament is battling the potential of praise and that leads us to pray for Jesus to sort out our senses even as we hope to glorify Jesus in the sound of silence and solos this Holy Week.
Pray God that you hear us and help us to experience this season through our imagination and generosity when the reality of our situation precludes us from gathering in worship. Pray we realize that how we love and what we love can brings us together spiritually in a way to glorify God. Pray we are thankful that God knew from the beginning that we would we would have to face this moment more alone than together. Pray we appreciate the plan of redemption and love both individually and in our minds, collectively. Pray we appreciate the Servant’s silent purpose of glorifying God and restoring justice through a nation. Pray we realize that God chooses and empowers servants to endure. Pray we become as instruments of peace in God’s plan. Pray we too serve to Glorify God in memory of the songs and sounds of our lives and how we still can live with purpose. Pray we realize that we too are to be humble servants but also are intended to celebrate life. Pray we realize that we all have a reason to celebrate. Pray Jesus comes alive in us filled with the Word. Pray we live in the knowledge of His promises. Pray we realize that we are intended to worship in a way that brings our very best love to permeate the world as a spiritual fragrance of generosity. Pray our very lives have the smell of worship. Pray we turn away from a spirit of stinginess and greed when it comes to sharing together the joy of God’s plan for each of us. Pray we celebrate God’s grace. Pray we honor the poor by sharing with them the treasures of a life in Christ. Pray we plan with God’s plan in our hearts to love and serve in ways that help us to collectively in the Holy Spirit bring meaning and purpose to others. Sela.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 